


By Night's End

by scuttlingclaws



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu | Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War
Genre: Canon? What Canon?, F/M, basically a lil self-indulgent Julius/Ishtar content, it truly do be like that, no betas we die like sigurd
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-04-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:48:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23472721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scuttlingclaws/pseuds/scuttlingclaws
Summary: Among the revelry and extravagance, two old friends reconnect.
Relationships: Ishtar/Yurius | Julius
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	By Night's End

**Author's Note:**

> Baby's first AO3 fic. It's been...literally almost a decade since I've written a fanfic for anything. Quarantine truly do be like a blast to the past. This ended up uhhh significantly longer than I thought it would, to be honest. If you wanna hear me ramble n all that good stuff come peep me on Twitter @juliusvelthomer

Ishtar had never been one for balls. Not that she was opposed to the extravagant foods and drinks, nor the beautiful silken dresses and opulent jewels that adorned her. However, as the heir to Thrud and thus the Mjölnir tome, she found herself much more comfortable on training grounds, exchanging blows with Ishtore or Reinhardt. The crackle of Elthunder as it escaped her fingertips was an irreplicable feeling. Though, the current anxiety she felt might too fall under such an umbrella.

While she knew for certain her mother's eyes were upon her, she could not shake the feeling that every other lord and lady within Belhalla, too, had their judgmental eyes cast upon her, hoping to find something to nitpick and thus brush her off as a candidate to be betrothed to the Crown Prince. Her mother made enough of a scene at home, putting the finest garb in all of Miletos, the district under Friege control, and urging her to be as ladylike as possible.

"Just because you are Mjölnir's heir does not change the fact that you have a duty to your family," Hilda had said while brushing her daughter's hair into her signature ponytail, "and what better match could there possibly be for His Highness than you?" Her mother took a step back, admiring her handiwork. "Do not embarrass me."

Ishtar wanted nothing more than to go straight for the fine wine that could always be found in Belhalla, but thought better of it. It would be improper to make that her first stop. 

"Why do you look so dour, sister?"

"It's nothing, brother." She wasn't even convinced by her own reply.

"Has mother got you down? You've got to be one of Jugdral's most eligible bachelorettes right now - there's no way you're leaving here without at least four proposals."

Ishtar let out a small chuckle. Ishtore could always cheer her up. "You flatter me, brother."

"Well, before you get swarmed, may I have this dance?" He asked, holding out his hand.

It was nice to start the evening with a more relaxed partner, so to speak. The two of them had practiced for hours on end for several days prior to the event, with both improving immensely. Ishtar felt tempted to step on her brother's toes, but thought better of it when she caught sight of Emperor Arvis and Empress Deirdre, sitting upon their respective thrones, conversing with with other lords and ladies of stature. Prince Julius and Princess Julia stood beside each other near their parents and appeared to be having a lively discussion of their own. Despite being engaged in conversation, Ishtar could see that the Imperial Prince's eyes were on her. She could hear her mother scolding her in her mind's ear, urging her to add an extra sway to her hips or bat her eyelashes at him while she had his attention.

She and Ishtore finished their dance and were immediately swept up by other partners, each clamoring to find a potential spouse amongst the crowd.

It was times like this that Ishtar felt *truly* jealous of her brother. Of course she was grateful and proud to carry on Thrud's line, but the immense amount of pressure put upon her by her mother was getting more and more unbearable as the days went by; a snake wrapped around her chest, constricting every breath no matter how small. While Hilda constantly tried to put her in the arms of some Lord, touting her holy blood as a reason to marry her, Ishtore was able to court his tactician, Liza, in peace.

Though, it would never be as simple for her, even if she did lack the blood of a crusader. The only man she had been truly interested in coupling with was none other than the Imperial Prince. While part of her wondered if she still would have such feelings for the man if her mother hadn't pushed her to attempt courting him as a child, the other part of her knew that he had a beautiful personality -something that was completely out of her mother's sphere of influence. He had always been so kind, going out of his way to make sure she and her brother were comfortable during their visits to the capital.

On occasion Hilda had brought her children with her and Blume to Belhalla when there was official business to discuss. Ishtore and Ishtar had spent many days in the company of the royal twins, playing games and exploring the castle grounds. However, after several years of such instances occurring - though moving from playing games to practicing magic - it had all ended when Emperor Arvis, urged by his adviser, had given control of Miletos to the Friege family. Ever since then Ishtore had only been to Belhalla for celebrations such as this, while Ishtore remained with Reinhardt and the rest of the Roten Ritter, practicing her thunder magic. While she cherished the chance to return to the home of so many fond memories, there was a certain lump in her stomach when she considered the main purpose of the ball was to find suitable partners for the Imperial Prince and Princess - and there was more competition than she could even begin to fathom.

After sharing several dances with the Lord of this and the Duke of that - it was difficult to focus on her partners when she thought could feel the eyes of the Emperor and the Prince on her - she allowed herself to get the wine she had so desired. She would need it if she had to listen to another one of these Naga-forsaken lords explain to her the duty of those with crusader lineage as though she had no understanding, as well as soothe her paranoia regarding the two men upon the thrones of Grannvale.

Normally she was not particularly fond of such large crowds, but Ishtar was incredibly grateful for the cover the dancing masses provided her as she slipped out of the castle.

No matter how many years had passed, Ishtar would always remember where all the different gardens in Belhalla were. She was uncertain as to whether or not she was actually allowed to be in them, but she figured that there was enough of a commotion with the ball that she would be able to return to the festivities with her little excursion unnoticed.

She let out a small sigh, leaning over a balcony overlooking the most beautiful fields of roses and peonies and snapdragons - all in different shades of red and pink. Perhaps a piece of Velthomer that Emperor Arvis had brought with him to make the capital feel more like home. She remembered wandering here with Julius, the first time they went off without Julia or Ishtore in tow, as he excitedly pointed out all of the different types of flowers that grew there and as many facts about them as he could recall. He was normally so quiet and withdrawn, but always came to life when the topic of conversation shifted to anything botanical.

She closed her eyes and took another sip from her goblet.

"I thought I might find you here."

Ishtar nearly jumped out of her skin, whipping around to see who had joined her at the gardens.

"Lord Julius," she stammered, feeling the heat pool in her cheeks, "my apologies, my lord - "

Julius put one hand up. "You have nothing to apologize for. In fact, I would thank you for coming." He moved closer to her, the lanterns along the garden illuminating his face. There was a mark on his forehead, indicating his holy lineage, but it was one she did not immediately recognize.

She, too, had a mark on her body showing her relation to the crusaders that had manifested on her upper right thigh after she had gotten into a particularly nasty fight with her mother regarding the treatment of her cousin. In her fit she ran out of the castle into a storm; as she ran, a bolt of lighting had hit her and she was surprised to find that it did not hurt, aside from a burning sensation on her leg. She couldn't clearly recall the rest of the day, only a blur of Reinhardt calling her name and the expression on her parents' face when they saw the marking that had suddenly appeared on her body. After that, all of the clothing she wore had slits to show off the proof of her lineage. 

Besides the physical appearance of the mark, it granted her a level of inexplicable confidence that carried with her throughout her actions. She realized that Julius's air of surety and poise must have come from the manifestation of his blood. He no longer appeared as the shy boy who second guessed nearly every action he took; he gave off a new air of self-assuredness that was near intoxicating.

"You would thank me, my lord?"

"I would indeed, my lady. As soon as I noticed you had left I knew exactly where you would be." He chuckled softly. "Please, just call me Julius."

"I'm afraid that would be most improper...I haven't called you that since we were children."

Julius pursed his lips. "We are only in the company of each other. There's no need for such formality."

Ishtar took another sip of her drink. While she would prefer to drop the titles, she could only think of how upset her mother would be with her for speaking to the Imperial Prince with such familiarity. She paused for a moment, and took another gulp of wine. "If that is what you desire...Julius."

The Prince gave her a smile, reaching his hand out to grasp hers that rested against the balcony. "You know, Ishtar, if I had my way you never would have been moved to Miletos. You would have never left my side." He intertwined his fingers with hers; his hand was unsurprisingly soft - he, too, was a mage with little proclivity for physical weaponry.

"My Lord -"

"Julius. Please." he interrupted. 

"You flatter me too much, Julius." Ishtar felt as though her face was as red as the Prince's hair.

"You're aware of the purpose of the night's festivities, yes?" Once Ishtar nodded in response he continued, "if fate would allow me to have my way now...I would announce that you are to be my empress by night's end."

"You would take me?" She made no attempt to hide the incredulity behind her voice. Part of her wondered if, perhaps, on her way to the garden she had slipped and hit her head and that this was all a dream. She pitied the poor servant who would find her in such a state. "Over all of the other ladies in attendance?"

"Don't sound so surprised, Ishtar. There may be many, yes, but who among them are as kind as you? As intelligent? As talented?" Julius drew her hand closer and planted a soft kiss on the back of it. While he still had the tell-tale confidence of holy blood, she could detect the slightest dusting of pink across his cheeks. 

"Julius...I..." Ishtar silently cursed her past self for indulging in too much drink. Her head was spinning enough from the wine, and having the Imperial Prince actively courting her was almost too much for her to process.

"You don't need to answer right now." He released her hand and knelt, reaching his hand through the gaps in the fencing that surrounded the balcony to grasp a flower just beyond it. He picked the end of a snapdragon. Julius tucked the flowers behind Ishtar's ear, bringing his lips to it. "But I would like an answer before the end of the night," he whispered, hot breath brushing against her skin.

Ishtar couldn't suppress her shiver at the feeling, and Julius chuckled lightly in response.

"I suppose I must be heading back, now. Would you like to accompany me?" He held out his elbow, offering it to her.

She tucked her hand in the crook of his arm, "Yes, Julius." Feeling him so close to her allowed her mind to grasp that this was, in fact, reality. "I'm sure your presence is sorely missed. You are the man of the hour, after all."

Julius let out a laugh, flashing a toothy smile at her, gently guiding her back towards the music and revelry within the castle walls. "Please, remember what we talked about. I hate to rush you, but I can't stand the thought of you with one of these other men." He spat out the last part of his sentence as though he took a bite of a meat pie, thinking it was fruit-filled and sweet.

"Nor can I, My Lord."

Once they reached the entryway, Ishtar released her grip on Julius's arm, flashing him a small smile as she walked away from him and towards her brother.

"Where did you go, sister? Do you know how many lords begged me for a dance with you?"

Ishtar giggled, "I hope not too many, brother."

"But really, where did you go?" Ishtore stole a furtive glance towards their mother and lowered his voice, leaning in closer towards his sister, "I saw you return with Prince Julius."

"Yes...we were in the gardens, just like when we were children." Now it was Ishtar's turn to quickly turn her gaze to her mother, "he told me he wants to propose to me at the end of the night."

Ishtar winced. "Mother would be pleased, wouldn't she?"

"She would but...I am as well."

"Are you going to accept?"

"I...I haven't had much time to think it over." Ishtar sighed, feeling the weight of her decision as it dragged her down, down to the ground. She wondered if being swallowed whole might be preferable to continuing to exist here. Being Julius's wife had been the subject of an embarrassingly large amount of daydreams, yet she shuddered to think what her mother would have her do as the spouse of the heir apparent of the newly united Grannvale. 

"Why are you not dancing, my children?" 

Their mother's sudden arrival caused the siblings to nearly jump out of their skin.

"Mother," Ishtar began.

Hilda held her manicured hand up. "You have all of the time in the world to speak to each other. You know there's a prize to be won tonight. For both of you." Her gaze slowly turned to Emperor and his children. "Lord Julius is looking right at you, my darling."

"Yes, mother."

"No more gallivanting off, not for either of you."

"Of course, mother," Ishtore replied.

Ishtar glanced to where her mother's attention was. The final song was quickly approaching and she had barely any time to consider what she would say should the Imperial Prince approach.

"What is that behind your ear?"

Ishtar was torn away from her thoughts by her mother's question, feeling a bit like a cat who was found with its owner's prized canary between its jaws.

"A snapdragon, mother."

The flash of anger in Hilda's eyes made Ishtar wonder if she had some amount of Thrud's blood flowing through her veins as well. "I do hope you are not picking flowers in the Imperial Castle with reckless abandon."

"Mother..." 

"It was a gift," Ishtore interjected, sensing the tension, "wasn't it, Ishtar?"

"And who, exactly, has the authority to go rifling through Belhalla's garden? Imagine if - "

"It was from Lord Julius," Ishtar mumbled, hoping to Naga telling her mother was not a mistake. She couldn't tell by the way her mother's eyes practically fell out of her head.

"Darling, you know what that means, don't you?"

"Yes, he made his intentions quite clear."

"I hope I am not interrupting anything?" 

The Friege's eyes all snapped to Julius, the three of them offering bows.

"Of course not, Your Highness," Hilda's voice took on the cloying, saccharine tone she often did when asking something of another - usually her husband. "Is there anything we can do for you, Lord Julius?"

Julius turned his attention towards Ishtar. "If I may, I would like to have this dance."

Ishtar could feel the eyes of all the attendees on her. There had been many balls of this type throughout the years, though this was the first she had attended - Ishtore came to every one alongside Hilda - she knew that Julius had never danced with anyone aside from his mother or his sister at the beginning.

She also knew that her answer to this request was the same as the answer to his previous question.

For once, Ishtar decided to let her heart lead her, rather than be caught within the never-ending cycle of thinking, thinking, and thinking until too much time had passed.

"Yes, Lord Julius...you may."

**Author's Note:**

> I always pictured Ishtar as someone with some kind of anxiety, likely stemming from Hilda's overbearing nature as well as from the expectations attached to being an heir to a Crusader's bloodline. This would likely be one of her first Spontaneous decisions, made without counseling from her brother or Reinhardt (who probs would have told her not to, let's be real).


End file.
